Calling of the Mate
by evil-vile-kitty
Summary: Pain. Nobody understands it completely. Nobody except for Hermione and Remus. What happens when the pain becomes more than what they can handle? Will it end in death, or will they finally see the light? HG/RL May contain some SB/HG/SS. Songfic.
1. Author's Note  Please Read First!

**A/N: My apologies to all of you fabulous readers and reviewers, you're probably wondering why I'm reposting all previous chapters of the chapters to my story. I've received a review today from **_**Flaaffy**_**, stating that I'm clearly in violation of the terms of agreement with my story (although my other songfics were not mentioned in the message) and that they will report me if I do not fix it. Obviously, I'm embarrassed that I didn't thoroughly read through the terms of agreement (seeing as the rule that I'm violating is in the fine-fine print), and will be fixing any and all stories of mine that are in violation to this rule. If I don't fix this problem then I could possibly lose my account on here and not be able to share my imagination with all of you. I will still name the chapters after titles of songs that I have paired them with and let you all know what song I had in mind for each chapter, but I will not be including the songs within the chapter, so I will not be in violation with the terms of agreement. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but you will not being seeing chapter 8 of Call of the Mate until I have finished fixing **_**all**_** of my songfics (thought I had planned on finishing and posting it tonight). It may take a while, but I will get around to posting the next chapter of this story. Thanks!**


	2. Black Liner Run

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "Black Liner Run" belongs to Justin Warfield and "Adam 12" Bravin and Perfect Kiss/Flawless Records and Geffen Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: I know it may look like the chapters are shorter, but I have removed nothing except for the lyrics of the songs I have chosen for each chapter. The song in this chapter is still the same, "Black Liner Run" by She Wants Revenge.**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 1: Black Liner Run

She liked her, she really did. But what she didn't understand was why the bubblegum-pink haired beauty didn't like her. It wasn't a secret that Nymphadora Tonks highly disliked the seventeen year-old Gryffindor – Hermione Granger. Nobody knew why, seeing as the know-it-all was liked by everyone and she never did anything wrong, everyone except for the now angry ex-Hufflepuff. What everyone else didn't know was that there was only one that had seen and understood what had naturally become the beginning of why Tonks would hate Hermione at first sight.

That was just who he was though, Severus Snape saw everything that went on around him. For years, he would stand in the shadows, becoming one with the darkness as he would watch and listen to every declaration of love, every argument between best friends, every lovers' spat, and every single deep dark secret that had been idiotically passed from one person to another. He used to blush at many of the aforementioned, until he learned how to control his emotions. It wasn't easy, but he had learned quickly how to put up a front for all to see.

On this night in particular, he was watching her, waiting for her to break down once again. He knew that she didn't understand why she was in so much pain, he truly felt bad for the girl. He really wanted to help her in her time of pain. It was a rarity for him anymore to feel that way, but there was just something so heart-wrenching about her pain that made him think of himself. She was sitting in the empty Astronomy Tower again, just like every night for the past three years. Every time she was there, she seemed to be in more pain than before, he knew what it was like, he went through the same thing when he had lost Lily fifteen years prior.

He stood there in the shadows, waiting, watching. He knew it was going to happen, the look on her face said it all. Then, he heard it, the barely audible cry and it was slowly getting louder, turning into a whole new pitch. Her high-pitched cry reached his ears and he almost let his hard mask slip away completely. He watched as she threw herself backwards against the wall. The cry came out, the tears streaming down her face caused her eyes to burn and puff up, she had stuffed half of her fist into her mouth in attempt to muffle out the cry. The black eyeliner that had neatly been etched around her eyes was now streaked down her face and for the life of him, he couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful yet sad she looked in that moment. All he wanted to do was take her away from the castle, away from the one person that was hurting her. And yet, he knew that he couldn't do that…not yet at least.

Severus quickly turned at the sound of a door being opened and a woman's giggling floated through the air and met his ears. The woman was being shushed by a man, the man was keeping his voice at a low level though and Severus was having a hard time trying to decipher who the man was. It didn't take long to figure out who it was though. Soon enough Remus Lupin came walking past Severus's little hiding spot, cheeks tinged a bright, sickly glowing pink. It was enough to make Severus sick to know that the werewolf was the one behind it all. Sure the man himself didn't know what he was doing, but it was the wolf that knew the truth, or at least part of the truth.

Severus stood, waiting for Lupin to descend the stairs of the tower, hoping that he hadn't heard the young woman's cries. Much to his disappointment Lupin had stopped in his tracks not too far from where Hermione was. Severus didn't move even though he wanted to. Dear Merlin above did he want to move. He wanted to intercept the werewolf and beat him to a bloody pulp. He hears Lupin call out Hermione's name. The poor girl looks frightened that someone has caught her at her weakest.

He watches her as she quickly tries to compose herself. Her face was blotched a deep red, making it evident that she had been crying. The full moon of course was coming upon them in just a little under a week, and Severus knew that Lupin could smell the saltiness of her tears. Severus watched Lupin approach the troubled woman and ask if she was okay. He was pissed that the werewolf even bothered to ask her what was wrong. It was plain as day written all over her face that she was definitely not okay. Hermione was a tortured soul that needed to be healed and cared for. Even Severus Snape knew that. Hermione told Lupin that she was fine and that she wanted to be left alone. Severus shook his head when the werewolf didn't grant her the request of being left alone.

The man instead chose to sit on the floor next to her and try to offer up comfort to her. Hermione eventually gave up on him leaving her side and just avoided saying anything or acknowledging him. Severus could hear Lupin try to engage in some form of conversation with her and so badly wanted to reveal himself just to grab Lupin by the neck and squeeze the life out of him. Hermione stayed against the back wall, unmoving and never meeting Lupin's eyes. Severus smirked at Lupin's many attempts to get Hermione to say something or to look at him. He just hoped that she wouldn't give in so soon.

To Severus, it looked like Lupin was losing his patience rather quickly. And as soon as his last nerve snapped he turned to take Hermione into his arms. At first she fought back, kicking and wriggling in his arms as he pulled them against the wall and slid down to the floor together. He wasn't letting go of her, no matter how hard she fought back, and eventually she went limp in his arms. Severus stood in the shadows and watched, enraged, as Lupin rocked her back and forth, speaking comforting words in her ear. Severus hated seeing her look confused and upset and just wanted to throw Lupin off of the tower. Over the years Severus became more and more confused about how he felt toward the young woman. On one side he felt protective of her, much like a father. On the other, if she wasn't already bound to someone, he felt as if he would be able to love her in the romantic sense.

Severus watched on in a raging fit, he wasn't sure if it was jealousy or protectiveness or both, but he definitely didn't like the way Lupin was holding her. He really wanted to get out of there, he needed to get out of there, he just couldn't. He couldn't stand the thought of leaving her alone with the werewolf. Severus couldn't stand the fact that he was just standing there, watching, when he could be protecting her from the pain that Lupin had been causing her all this time.

Severus waited until Lupin had finally given in and left, at Hermione's request. He was able to finally breathe easy for the most part, the moment Lupin had left. Now he had to wait for Hermione to either fall asleep from exhaustion or to get up and go to her dormitory. It wasn't a first for either for Severus. He always waited to see what she decided to do. And once more, it looked as if she was going to fall asleep. Severus was well prepared for this to happen. As soon as she fell asleep, Severus came out from the shadows and picked up the damaged girl. It was late enough for the students to all be asleep and as a professor of the school, he had access to all of the common rooms if needed.

He made it quick work to get Hermione to her room, tucked into the soft blankets of her four poster bed, and pulled the drapes around her bed closed to ensure her some privacy. The other girls in the room were sound asleep and Severus was thankful for that. He definitely didn't want to frighten anyone by barging in with a limp Granger in his arms. And Severus didn't want to feel like he had to explain himself. He had done this so many times over the years for Hermione that he was surprised that she hadn't figured it out yet, that someone was obviously there for her, even though she couldn't see him. She had to have known that there was someone taking care in making sure that she was safely back to bed every night. Surely she knew that someone knew about her nightly breakdowns. Severus just wished that she would figure it out. _She's a smart girl; she will figure it out soon enough._ He thought to himself as he walked out of the Gryffindor common room.

The moment Severus stepped out of the Gryffindor common room he could smell the werewolf. He chose to ignore Lupin, even though the man didn't make himself known in the darkened corridor, and made his way back to his chambers in the dungeons. Severus wanted to, _bloody hell_ did he ever want to just turn around and slaughter that fucking monster. Not for his own pleasure, oh no, but for Hermione Granger. Severus wanted justice for the young woman. _Soon enough Sev, soon enough._ He kept telling himself.

Severus couldn't find it in himself to care that someone had caught him coming out of Gryffindor common room, perhaps had even seen him enter said place with Hermione Granger in his arms. Severus wanted to laugh. He decided to go along with the were-man, letting him think that he wasn't aware that he was being followed. The severity of the evening's activities, though, made the moment far from laughable though. Severus looked forward to the day that he would be able to face Lupin himself, punish the man for what he was doing.

Severus had made it to the door of his chambers when Lupin had finally made himself known, not that he didn't know that Lupin was already there. The man came out of the shadows just as Severus began to take down the protective enchantments that kept his rooms protected. "How is she Severus?" The werewolf sounded upset. "Do you know what is wrong with her?"

He couldn't keep the sneer off of his face. "Even if I knew, why would I tell you?" Severus knew that Granger would probably know about him after tonight. It didn't matter. He would soon be taking her away from all of this. And then, maybe then, Lupin would finally see what was wrong with the girl.

"She's my friend, Severus. I'm worried about her." The man sounded desperate to know what was wrong with the young woman.

Releasing a snort, Severus countered Lupin's little heartfelt comment. "I'm afraid that I cannot tell you that. That would breach the confidentiality between me and my patient." With that, Severus entered his rooms and slammed the door in the werewolf's face, feeling only a little victorious in the matter.

Sitting in the wing backed chair t that sat in front of the roaring fire of the sitting room, Severus took a swig of the glass of brandy his overworked hand held delicately. Almost as delicately as he had held Hermione Granger. Severus had thought out so many ways he could take her out of this place, a place that he had called home since he was a boy. He knew that if he was to take her away at any time, it would raise questions, people would worry, and he would be once again put up for the job of searching out a part of the Golden Trio. It would be laughable to him though, considering he would have the young woman in hiding. He'd come up with plan after plan, the man that was supposed to be dead, the man that he saved, the man that he was hiding in his own home had helped him come up with so many of the plans. The man also knew what had happened on the night in question. He was terribly upset with his friend, so much that he had switched over to Severus' side of the fence. He never thought that would ever happen to him, but he was indebted to him indefinitely.

Severus took it upon himself to try and get some sleep after finishing off his brandy. The bed of which he laid upon was comfortable enough, but usually not enough to comfort him to sleep. For the longest time, he could only stare at the ceiling and think about the broken girl that lay in the opposite end of the castle. His heart ached for the young woman, ached for all that was ridiculously real and painful in her life, ached for the reality of the situation that she had unknowingly put herself in, ached for the love that she might never feel. That night, Severus slept, dreaming of a day that Hermione Granger would be free and happy. If only he could get her to run away with him.


	3. I'm Not Okay

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" belongs to the band members of My Chemical Romance and Reprise Records and Eyeball Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: The song in this chapter is "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance. R&R.**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 2: I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

**Severus's POV**

Silence. There was nothing better than silence. The feeling of floating and the complete darkness behind the curtains, I was used to it. These would be the thoughts bringing me back to consciousness after a night of sleep. Today is different though. I can feel it deep within me. Something is going to happen today, something that's going to change us all. I rarely get these feelings anymore. The last time I did, the Dark Lord had killed my beloved Lily. I hated this feeling, and not knowing what was going to happen only made me feel worse. It made my skin crawl and left my body tingling, and not in the good way.

My eyes snap open only to be welcomed by the view of the ridiculous green canopy above my bed. I slowly turn my head to see that I only have an hour before class starts. _Good morning Hogwarts! The Dungeon Bat awakens!_ I begin my morning routine, getting ready for the day…its Friday, thank Merlin. My shower is quick and efficient, scalding hot water raining down upon me, lathering up the concoction I created just for myself, a good thorough scrub down, wash my hair, get a good rinse in and I'm off to dry myself. It's always the same every morning, never changing. That's the way I like it though. I drape the towel around my waist and go back out to my bedroom. I open the wardrobe doors and run my fingers over the brand new suits, all black, all matching, all in separate bags, hanging from the rod sitting horizontally along the top. Each bag has a date tagged to it. I grab the one dated for today and a new set of socks with my boots. _Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. _My father had it. Can't blame the man though, always had to be clean and perfect. _"Everything has its place Severus."_ He would say. I got my mentality from him; my looks came from my mother. That was an unfortunate mix up. I would have rather been handsome and messy than ugly and clean, but as it is said, 'you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family.' After getting dressed I go to my office. My morning cup of coffee is sitting, waiting for me. I can see the steam roll off of the top as I sit down. It's fresh coffee, Columbian blend. The house-elves know the routine. I drink it straight as I pull a pile of fifth year essays towards me. I have enough time to grade these. After that, the classroom for some teaching. Always the same every day; never changing.

I finish the dreaded pile of sloppily written essays and I can hear the Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years start to fill up the classroom. I shake my head, knowing that this could possibly be a long class, not because it's a double hour with them, it's because Longbottom is still attending my class. I briefly think about whether or not I should allow Miss Granger assist him, just for the sake of not having to face another destroyed potion, or worse, another destroyed cauldron. I contemplate this every day that I have this class in particular. It's always the same and never changing.

I sweep into the classroom like the bat everyone says that I am and the class falls silent. No lecturing today for me I decide, I'll do that tomorrow. I tap my wand against the blackboard and tell the class to begin brewing. I take my seat behind my desk and watch the lot of them scramble to get to the store room for the ingredients. Miss Granger is taking up the rear, waiting for everyone else to get their ingredients. I mentally take note that this is a first for her.

That feeling that I had earlier, I could feel it intensifying when I first looked at her today. I knew that the something bad today revolved around the young woman and that I would have to keep a close eye on her today. It wasn't going to be an easy task for me, considering that it could happen at any time during the day while I'm stuck here in class teaching. Whatever it was though, I knew that I would have to be there for her when it happened. The protectiveness kicking into overdrive and wanting to beg her to not do something stupid or to even not leave the class room was starting to fill my head. I wouldn't be able to keep her from leaving the classroom though. I wouldn't be able to keep her from going off and doing whatever it was that was going to cause this horrible feeling to stick with me for the rest of my life.

The class continued on, Hermione being the last one to start was unsurprisingly the first one to finish and leave my classroom. I could hear her shoes clicking against the floor as she approached my desk. I saw her pale, petite hand come into view, holding the potion that I had assigned for the class. I looked up as I reached out to take the vile in hand, looking into her eyes, silently pleading with her to not do anything that she or the rest of us would regret. I wasn't sure if she had caught on with the look I gave her and just sat there at my desk, watching her collect her things and leave the classroom.

Time couldn't have gone by any slower in my opinion. It felt like ages before the class ended and for once, Longbottom had made a potion right...without blowing up my classroom. There were only a few minutes between classes, so I knew that there wasn't any time to see if Miss Granger was okay. It was at this point that I wished that I had a Time Turner just so I could follow her and make sure that she wasn't the one that was leaving me with the bad feeling.

My second class seemed to have taken forever to get through. I was definitely kept on my toes since the moment I woke up. So when one of the dunderheads that I had dubbed as another Longbottom had slipped up and added too much of the wrong ingredient, I was prepared to vanish the failed potion _and_ cover the child with my body as a precaution as it began to spew violently. Nothing had yet to have gotten passed me so far, and it seemed to have only fueled the fire for me…making me only that more aware of everything going on around me. I, as kindly as I possibly could, dismiss the class and advise the student who botched up their potion to go get looked over by Poppy.

I didn't have any more classes until after the lunch hour, which left me with more than enough time to roam the halls…and to be sure that Miss Granger was where she was supposed to be. The moment my classroom was empty, I jumped up and ran straight to my office. I needed a plan and I needed to find Miss Granger.

I make a beeline over to my muggle filing cabinet and immediately open the seventh year drawer. My fingers graze over top of the red folders, representing Gryffindor house. I find the file I'm looking for. _Granger, Hermione J._ Her time-table is paper-clipped over top of the other pages within her file. She has Charms right after my class, followed by Arithmancy. After lunch she has History of Magic and then Defense Against the Dark Arts. I make a quick calculation and know that she should be in Arithmancy. Putting her file away, I make haste in reaching the Arithmancy classroom…more than seven flights up from the dungeons. I can only hope that she is where she is supposed to be. If she isn't, then I know that I'm going to have a hell of a time finding her in this castle.

Not caring that I was interrupting class, I slammed the door to room 7A open and strode in, scaring the room of idiot children. I smirked inwardly, knowing that I still had _it_. "Septima, your office for a moment."

To say that she was completely pissed off at me was a major understatement. "What the hell gives you any right to just walk into my classroom? Especially while I'm in the middle of teaching?" She shouted at me as soon as her office door was shut. "You may not take teaching as seriously as I do, but that does not mean that you can just barge in whenever you fancy it!"

I quickly stop her, putting my hand up in between us to stop her from going on. "I'm looking for a student that is supposed to be in your class right now." She waves her hand as if to tell me that I should continue on. "I'm looking for Hermione Granger. She seemed out of sorts today in my class and I've seen that kind of behavior once or twice before. You know what I'm talking about. Mr. Frasier, eight years ago. I noticed that she wasn't sitting in your classroom when I came in. Has she stepped out?"

She sighs. "No. She didn't step foot in my class today. It's not normal for her, but I thought that she might have not been feeling well and may have been in the Hospital Wing. She doesn't have any friends in my class, so it's not like any of them would tell me where she's off to." I nod my head and give her my thanks before leaving her office and her classroom, allowing her to continue with her teaching.

Leaving the classroom, I'm determined to find the missing student. I also know that there will have to be some time where I can't be out looking for her; I notice the time and see that I have just under an hour before lunch starts. I could go to the Great Hall then to see if she shows up. If she does, then I'm required, as her professor, to confront her about why she had missed class. If she does not show up, then I know that there is something wrong and that I need to find her immediately before she does something stupid.

I take my free hour to go to the library, thinking that she could possibly be there just studying. But then again, why would she miss class in order to just study? Unless there was something more important to her to study than to attend class. I walk in through the double doors of the Library and immediately come face to face with Irma Pince. Prickly as ever, still, she never frightened me. I approach her at her desk and ask if she's seen Miss Granger enter the library at all today.

"Why Severus, I didn't know that you cared so much about the students of any house but your own!" I scowl at her ridiculous comment. "But alas, no, I have not seen Miss Granger come in once today. I suppose her classes are keeping her from the books within this room." I give my thanks and leave before she can bother with asking me anything about the situation. _Bullocks, bullocks, and double bullocks!_ Checking the time, I knew that I had to get down to lunch. At least to see if she was going to show up or not.

I sat for the entire lunch hour, which wasn't something that I would normally do. Granger had yet to show up and Potter and Weasley were looking worried. They kept looking towards the Great Hall doors, as if they were waiting for her grand entrance. I decided that I shouldn't catch their attention by asking them where she was. I knew just from the looks on their faces that they were clueless as to where she had gone off to.

I cancelled all of my afternoon classes, knowing that there wasn't anyone else in the castle that could possibly keep control of my students while mixing potentially dangerous ingredients. I began scouting out the castle for the little woman with bigger problems than most of us put together. The empty classrooms were empty, save for the few hormonal teenagers that I had caught doing more than what I'd ever want to see from them, which I'd taken points from and left them to get dressed to continue on my hunt.

It was nearing dinner time when it hit me. I knew where she would be. I felt so stupid for not checking the place that was obvious first. She was in the Astronomy Tower. I didn't know for sure, but I had that gut feeling. That feeling that I had had when I had first woken up was getting stronger by the second and it didn't help that I had wasted time searching for her. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, afraid that I wasn't going to make it in time. And then there she was. I was relieved at first, until I saw all of the blood. "Shite!" I immediately ran over to her and began to pick her up. The shallow breathing was more than enough indication to me that she was dying. "Miss Granger, I need you to talk to me. You can't close your eyes. I need you to stay awake." I had quickly siphoned the blood up from the floor with my wand.

"What's happening to me?" Her voice was raspy and weak. I knew that she wasn't asking about the wounds on her body that was self-inflicted. She was asking me why she was feeling the way she had been feeling. I place a disillusionment charm upon us so we wouldn't be noticed by any unwanted wandering eyes.

"I'll explain everything as soon as I get you out of here." I held her close to me as I ran to my quarters. I had to get her away from this place. It was not the place that she needed to be and she would only get into trouble if I were to take her to the Hospital Wing. She didn't need that. "Stay with me. Talk to me." I wasn't ready to let her die. It wouldn't end well if she did die.

Her voice wasn't getting any better as she began telling me about her childhood and her parents, whom it sounded like she adored. "I wiped their memories you know? They don't even know that I exist. Sent them to Australia, I did. Had their names changed and everything. I didn't want them to get hurt in this war. Love them too much, you see. I couldn't bear to see them get hurt because of who I am here." Her voice was sounding fainter by the second and I was rushing to get to my quarters. I hadn't known that she had done all of that to her parents and I felt a new level of respect for her.

It wasn't much longer before I had gotten us to my rooms before she had passed out completely in my arms. I didn't stop there though. I grabbed a handful of floo powder and transported us to my home in Spinner's End. The kitchen light was on as I could tell from where I was standing. I needed an extra pair of hands. "Black!" No answer. "Sirius Black! I need a hand in here!" The man that only I knew was in fact alive came running in from the kitchen, eyes wide at the sight of the young woman bleeding out in my arms.


	4. Call Me A Dog

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "Call Me A Dog" belongs to Chris Cornell and the members of Temple of the Dog and A&M Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: The song in this chapter is "Call Me A Dog" by Temple of the Dog**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 3: Call Me A Dog

**Sirius' POV**

It had been a while since I had had any sort of contact with the outside world. I yearned for it, needed it. I missed my only friend left, Remus, and I missed my godson, Harry. Of course, it is not the first time that I've been locked away. And this time, it isn't really against my will. I owed a lot to Snape. He saved my life in that death chamber. Snape was one smart bastard and I still had not figured out how he really did it all. All he had said to me was Weasley Twins. I could only think that he was a customer or possibly an investor much like Harry is. I didn't know what product was used on me, but whatever it was, it worked. So many people had been fooled that night into thinking that I had died.

I was sitting for a cup of tea; the sky was pitch black from what I could tell of the windows. I wondered what everyone else was doing, where they were, who they were with. It was torture being away from everyone, but it was completely necessary. I definitely prefer this to Azkaban. I wasn't about to complain to Snape about it. His home was very small but accommodating to me. I had my own room; small as it was it was still better than most of the places I've had to sleep in my life. The washroom was small too, but it was equipped with the necessities, I couldn't complain. I virtually had the place all to myself. Snape kept in contact with me, sending me a message through the floo or even his patronus, when he got a chance to. He would usually give me a heads up whenever he was going to be joining me for the evening to keep me up to date with everything going on outside of the walls of his house. So I was surprised to hear him shouting for me so late without even a word from him saying that he would be here.

When I heard his panicked voice I jumped up and made my way into the sitting room. "Took you long enough you great bat!" I shouted as I came into the sitting room. What I wasn't expecting though, was to see Hermione Granger in his arms. "Why Sev! You naughty boy, you've been up to no good without me! If I had known that you liked them that young, I would have suggested sharing with you ages ago! Thanks for the offer! I would love to take you up on it, but I'm afraid that I have a delectable cup of tea waiting for me in the kitchen!" He knew that I was joking, but from the look on his face, this was not the time for it. My smile immediately turned into a frown. "What happened?"

"Black," He started carrying her through one of the secret passageways to the rooms above. "she has lost a lot of blood. I need you to retrieve a blood replenishing potion, a phial of Essence of Dittany, and a basin of water and rags." I took no time in standing around and went to collect the things he requested of me. I was worried and afraid of what could have possibly happened to her. I knew that she wouldn't be leaving from here for a long time, and that she would be able to tell me soon enough.

I entered the room that Snape had Hermione in. He had her stripped down to her knickers and was looking her over completely, looking for any other places that could have been injured. I set the basin down and handed the potion and dittany over to him. "Start cleaning her wounds with the rag and water. I'll get to work on healing her." I wasn't about to argue with the man, this was serious. Her lips were turning blue and her skin was so white, she made Snape look tanned. "I tried to keep her conscious for as long as I could. Found her in the Astronomy Tower bleeding out." The wounds on her were deep, but not so deep that they couldn't be helped by the two of us.

We sat next to her bed as she slept, keeping her monitored constantly. "So what happened?" I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know, but if she was to be staying here under my eye, then I would have to know, whether or not if I wanted to.

Snape was silent for a moment. "As you know, I've been watching her, keeping my eye on her since that night. She hasn't been coping too well. It's the same every night, sometimes it's worse. Last night was one of her bad nights. I should have been more aware of the situation when it came about. She was acting worse that she normally would on those nights in the tower. And it just so happened that Lupin came through, from an unused classroom, smelling of sex and that hideous perfume that Tonks wears." He paused for moment. "I'm quite sure that it's connected. I wouldn't doubt it. He stopped to talk to her, to see what was wrong with her and she couldn't even tell him. She has no clue what's wrong with her."

I shook my head. "Damn it Moony, what are you doing?" I wanted nothing more than to hunt him down and knock him senseless.

"My sentiments exactly. I wanted to strangle him." Snape leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows upon his knees. This was a pose that I had never seen from him before. "It's not healthy for her to stay at Hogwarts anymore, with him there too. We will have to keep her here for a while. Nobody knows about this except for us. And if Potter knew about what happened that night, then he would understand and possibly even help us make up for her absence from the school." I agreed with him, Harry should have been able to distinguish the signs from the assignment that Snape had set that year. If only he had studied even further into the behavior of werewolves. If only Hermione had done that too, then she would be able to understand what had happened. "I'll have to go back tonight. I hate to have to leave her here with you." I asked him if I should tell her anything. "I'll be back during lunch; I never attend lunch in the Great Hall anyway. We'll tell her then. That way it will not be on just one of us and she can get both points of view of the situation. I'll bring some books back for her to read on the subject, that way she will be able to understand it better."

I walk with Snape back to the sitting room in complete silence. When we approached the fireplace he spoke again. "Try not to leave her side for too long. When she wakes up, make sure that she eats, preferably keep her on a liquid diet save for some bread. Water to keep her hydrated, of course. Check her vitals, pulse rate and such every half-hour to an hour if possible. If there is a problem, floo me immediately or send a patronus. I will be back over during the lunch hour." I nod my head and shake his hand before he left through the fireplace.

I went back into the kitchen to get a glass of water for her, if she was to wake up anytime soon, and a cup of fresh tea for me. I was so pissed off at Moony that I couldn't see straight. Snape wasn't wrong in bringing her here, I'm happy that he did. I wouldn't be so alone, and she wouldn't die…yet. That was going to be one hell of a mission for the two of us; to keep her alive. And the sad thing is Remus has no clue that he's killing her. The wolf might know, but the man didn't.

I returned to Hermione's room with tea and water and sat down next to the bed, watching over her as Snape told me to. Twenty years ago if someone had told me that I would be taking orders from Snape, I would have laughed in their face, but now, it was more than necessary; life or death to do so. I have no problem doing now, with everything that is going down right now; no one can turn it down. I don't think I could watch someone that I care for die…not again.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Hermione started talking in her sleep. Light thrashing around was all her body would allow, I think. Her movements were of a small quality, a twitch here and there, nothing major. "Moony…" She sighed. I wondered if she knew that she was calling out for him in her sleep. I also wondered how long she had been calling for him. My heart broke for her. I knew that she needed him, that he was the key to her life. I didn't look forward to facing my old friend when it would come time to confront him about their connection.

I didn't bother with sleeping. Instead, I stayed by her side, checking her heart rate and listened to her breathing. I wasn't bothered with the fact that I was losing sleep to watch her; I had gone without sleep for a long time when I was in Azkaban, the Dementors only made it worse for us prisoners. Every once in a while she would mumble and whisper in her sleep. It was always a call for Moony, desperate sounding. I wished that Remus was here to hear her call for him. I wondered if she dreamt about him, and if she did, did she remembered any of it?

I had just coming back to Hermione's room from the kitchen when I heard her screaming. "Hermione?" I called out as I burst into the room. When she saw me, she screamed even louder. I rushed over to her to try to calm her down. "Hermione, it's okay. Calm down, love." I took her into my arms and tried to rock her back and forth but she quickly started fighting me off. "Hermione no, you have to stop. You're not well." She fought me for a while before she wore herself out. "Please tell me that you're finished."

She just sat there and stared at me for a while before speaking. "I must be dead."

I couldn't help but to snicker at her statement. "No, love, you are not dead. Believe me, you are very much alive."

I received a puzzled look. "Then I must be hallucinating."

"Why would you be hallucinating?" I knew what her answer would be; I just couldn't stop myself from playing with her for a minute or two.

"Well, because you're dead. But, you never came back as a ghost and you're definitely not transparent in appearance. So, in that case, I would have to be dead. I would imagine that in death, you would look very much as solid as you did when you were alive. And in the case that I'm dead, I would ask you where we are." She made a very good point. "So, where are we? I never imagined that it would be you to welcome me into the world of those that have passed." She looked very much as excited as I imagined she would in a classroom.

I smile at her explanation and question. "We're at Spinner's End, the house of Snape."

She frowned. "Why would you meet me in the case of my death in Professor Snape's home?"

I let out a barking laugh. "My dear Hermione, have you not heard what I've told you? You. Are. Not. Dead. Plain and simple. Neither am I for that matter. I'm just as alive as you are. If you were dead, would I able to do this?" I pinched her arm, only just enough for her to feel it. "And would you have felt it?"

After talking her out of the idea of either of us actually being dead, I left her to get her something to eat. I was happy that she left it all alone, the idea of us being dead. I knew that she would bring it up later again, and I didn't want to be the one to argue with her on it again. I would leave that bit to Snape; she needed someone with a sterner attitude to talk to about it. I didn't like the thought of is as much as the next bloke. I was happy that she was also awake and as healthy as she could get for the time being.

Later, after getting some soup and bread together for her, I sat with her, helping her eat. I told her that Snape would be in later around lunch time to check on her. She didn't ask as to why I was in Snape's home, nor did I volunteer any information. She would just have to be patient and wait for him. There wasn't much that I could tell her anyways. Especially in the case of my 'death', I didn't know what happened in that situation but I hoped that I would get answers soon enough. I hoped that Snape would give her all the answers that she was seeking when it came to me. I definitely wasn't looking forward to telling her of her connection with Moony, but I knew that Snape would be there to help me explain everything. At least I wasn't alone in this.


	5. Say It Ain't So

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "Say It Ain't So" belongs to Rivers Cuomo and DGC Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: The song in this chapter is "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer.**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 4: Say It Ain't So

**Hermione's POV**

I had so many questions for Sirius. I didn't want to believe that I was dead, but then again, I didn't want to believe that I was alive either. I really didn't know what to think of him. Was Sirius alive? Was he dead? If I was dead, and if Sirius was dead, why would he be the one to meet me in the afterlife and why would he be meeting me in Snape's house? It wasn't a place that I had been before and it wasn't a place that I would ever imagine myself wanting to be. I wanted answers to my questions. I refused to voice them though; I knew I would have to wait for Snape to get here to give me the whole rundown. I chose to continue the morning as if nothing was amiss, as if I was alive, as if Sirius was really alive. I ate the soup and bread that Sirius brought me from the kitchen without complaint. He let me up to shower and go to the bathroom. I even ended up wearing some of Snape's clothes due to my lack of clothing supply.

I kept looking at the clock throughout the morning, waiting for the moment that Snape would show up, the moment that I would get the answers to my questions. Sirius took note of how antsy I was getting and would laugh at me and tell me that he would be joining us soon. Nothing was holding my attention more than the clock. And at some point, Sirius turned on the tele, which I never noticed. I didn't even know that Snape had electronics or anything that came from the Muggle world. It was at that time that Sirius explained to me that Snape was a half-blood. Shocking to me the news was. It showed me that you should always expect the unexpected.

We were sitting back, watching some ridiculous program that I wasn't really paying any attention to when a voice had interrupted Sirius' laughter. "I see that you two have found something to entertain yourselves with." I jumped at the sound of Snape's voice. "My apologies Miss Granger, I didn't mean to startle you."

Sirius immediately got to work on telling Snape what has been going on with me overnight. "She has questions. She thinks she's dead and that I am as well. I don't know what to tell her." I could barely hear him, his voice but a whisper. Snape nods his head as if he understands. "I let her up for a shower and to change. I hope you don't mind, I don't have a lot for her to wear, so I rounded up some of your stuff. Not bad, if you ask me." I could hear the humor in his voice. They both turned to look at me. I was curious as to why I was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a _Black Sabbath_ t-shirt. I wondered why they had fit me.

I heard a chuckle from Snape, something I had never imagine hearing. "Those were mine from when I was your age." I looked down at the worn shirt and jeans, tugging on the hem of the shirt, my mind trying to figure out how these clothes could have ever fit him. The man was so tall and I just couldn't imagine him wearing these clothes as a teen. Snape cleared his throat, Sirius looked amused. "I had a bit of a late growth spurt." Snape looked uncomfortable. Sirius had a hard time holding in his laughter and eventually gave in and started laughing.

I couldn't hold back the giggle that bubbled up within me. Snape looked disgruntled at our laughter. "I'm sorry Professor, but I'm more of a _Sex Pistols_ kind of girl." He relaxed at my statement, releasing the tension between the three of us.

"Is that so?" Sirius asked, laughing even harder.

Snape smirked at me. "Miss Granger, I would never have expected such a thing. In any case, I do have some _Sex Pistols_ t-shirts you may wear, if that is what you prefer." Pure mirth was shining in his black eyes as he took a seat next to my bed. "Aside from joking, Miss Granger, shall we get down to business?"

As soon as things got serious, Sirius left the room to get us some tea. I think that there was more to it than what was about to be discussed that had Sirius leaving the room. And it only became stranger when Snape spoke again when Sirius walked out. "Miss Granger, what do you know about the mating habits of werewolves?"

Can you say 'huh'? I was confused as to where this was going. "I can't say that I know much about the mating habits of werewolves. Why? What would any of that have to do with me or this situation?" Whatever this was, I already didn't like where it was going.

He sighed. "You've had contact with a werewolf before, yes?" I nodded. "Up close and personal, as we both remember, I'm sure." He paused again. "You were also using a time-turner that year, if I remember right." He watched me closely, as if he was waiting for me to say or do something. "When we were attacked, I had the three of you held behind me. And yet, at that same moment, you and Potter were elsewhere as well, were you not?" I nodded again. "And you did something when he began advancing upon us again. You did something to distract him, yes?"

"I called out to him. I howled out for him, to get him to leave you and the rest of us alone. I was trying to keep the four of us safe." I explained. It sounded strange to me that he first came out, asking me about my knowledge on werewolf mating habits and then about how I had saved him from a fate worse than death. _Oh bleeding hell!_ "Professor Snape, does my calling to Moony have anything to do with your first question on the subject?"

Snape sighed once more. "I'm afraid it does." At this moment, Sirius walked back in with the tea. Snape and I both took a cup and fixed them to our preferences. "The wolf can find its mate two different ways. One way, is that the man and wolf have accepted each other and choose to mark the one that they are with at the moment. They cannot undo the mark in any way. The second way the wolf finds its mate is if it's being called. Much like you had done, you had howled out to Lupin and his wolf recognized you as a female in search of a mate. You called for him and he came to you." I tried to interrupt but he lifted his hand to stop me. "I know that you did it for all of our safety, but you didn't know the consequences of your actions."

Sirius sat silently in a chair that was sitting next to Snape's chair. They were giving me a chance to speak. "So, let me get this straight: because I called out to Moony, to protect you and my friends, when he came answering my call, which created a magical bond that cannot be broken. In that, making me Professor Lupin's mate?" I couldn't quite believe what Snape was telling me.

"That is exactly what we're trying to tell you 'Mione." Sirius sounded so sad, like there was more to it than what I had just said and was explained to me.

I glared at both of them, effectively making the flinch. "What are you not telling me?"

Not too long after the explanation of the most insane thing I'd ever heard, Snape had left. When he came in, he had brought my trunk full of clothes and books and everything else that I owned. Not only that, he had left a book on werewolf mating behind for me. I was guessing that it had the answers that they were afraid to tell me. I wasn't sure if I was ready to read it quite yet though.

Sirius had left me to do my own thing, telling me that Snape would be in again later on after curfew. I supposed that that meant that I was to read the book he left with me in silence. Sirius and Snape had both given me the okay to move around on my own, which I was grateful for. Upon my exploration of Snape's house, I had found myself in a dark corner with the book, curled up with in opened across my knees.

The disturbing and frightening images flashed before me across the pages as I turned them. Words jumped out at me that made me squirm with nervousness. _Dominate…Mate…Mark._ I couldn't escape the shiver that ran down my spine. '_The mate of the wolf must show submission. Submitting to the wolf shows that the mate understands his or her role in the relationship'._ I cringed at the idea of submitting to anyone; I'm my own person, I belong to no one. I skipped further down the page. _'If the showing of submission does not occur, the wolf may become violent, resulting, in most cases, in death.'_ "That's bloody barbaric!"

I kept reading, no matter how sickening the images or the text was. I had to know what I had gotten myself into. I was too far into reading this damned book to stop, so when I made it to another more important section, I had tried to keep myself as composed as possible and keep the fear at bay. _'If mating does not occur at all, death will surely fall, first upon the mate followed by the wolf.'_ Holding my breath, I check the footnote. _'See page 872 for wolf/mate bonds.'_ Quickly turning to the page from the footnote, I found myself reading about the bond between the wolf and its mate. _'Every bond between a wolf and its mate are unique. In most cases, if a wolf's potential mate is underage, the wolf is able to keep control of mating urges. However, when the mate becomes of age, joining adulthood, the urges to mate become stronger. In these cases, mating must occur within a year of the mates coming of age. If mating does not take place with that year, the mate will die, followed by the wolf.'_ I let out a shaky breath before looking through the other different types of bonds, none of which matched my situation.

After reading a little more, and finding out that the blinding, soul-crushing feelings that had been driving me mad, was also a part of the bond. I couldn't stop the nauseous feeling from coming over me. Every time that feeling came over me, Lupin had been out shagging, effectively destroying the very connection that held so strong between us.

I sought out Sirius, not knowing what else to do. "Did you know?" He looked up at me from his seat at the kitchen table. From where I was standing, it looked like he was wandlessly swirling the amber liquid of Fire-Whiskey in the tumbler before him.

A sad smile formed upon his lips. "I had a good idea." He said slowly. "I only know what Snape has shared with me though. I'm pretty sure that I don't know everything or the detailed bits that you probably know." His voice was quiet and soft, like he was afraid of what he was speaking of.

I sighed and turned away from him. "Did you know that if Moony doesn't take me within the year that it will result in my death?"

Sirius was not happy to hear the declaration of my pending death and had started questioning Snape's knowledge on that end of the issue. With the way Snape had approached my problem and bringing me here, I'd wager that he didn't and I pointed this out to Sirius.

"We have to tell Snape, Hermione. What are we going to do about this? We can't just let you die." I watched him from the rather old couch as he paced the floor of the sitting room. "Remus would beat himself up over this if he knew."

I shook my head. "No, it wouldn't be long before he would die too. If I die, according to the book, then both man and wolf would follow shortly." His sapphire blue eyes met mine, wide and frightened. "In the end, we'll both die if he doesn't mate with me within the year. We have until my eighteenth birthday." Sirius looked even sourer after that statement.

When Snape arrived that evening, Sirius immediately jumped to it, asking him what he knows that Sirius didn't know. "I only know what I told you. I just recently came upon that book and read a very little bit about it, exactly what is common knowledge within the Wizarding world. I gave it to Miss Granger when I left here because I knew that she would find more than what I did. She would read more into everything. I didn't have a lot of time between the time that I found it and the time that I brought her here. I am a busy man you know." I didn't know if I should have been offended that he was talking about me as if I wasn't in the room or feel better at the fact that he really hadn't been hiding anything from Sirius.

"Well I, for one, would like to figure out what to do before my time runs out." I stated from the couch. Snape gave me a quizzical stare and I knew that he had no clue how bad this situation really was. I opened the book that had been sitting next to me and showed him the passages that I had read. "Read it." I stated.

He skimmed over the page before handing it back to me. "This is everything that I've read before. This is nothing new to me." I shook my head and pointed at the footnote and watched as he flipped the pages to the next section that I wanted him to read. With every word, his face became considerably paler than before. I had never seen him like this and I was beginning to worry. Sirius looked just as I felt. If it didn't look good to Snape, then it definitely wasn't good for any of us. "I-I –I didn't know. I swear I didn't!"

After talking Snape down, on both mine and Sirius' part, I told him that it was okay for now and that we had some time to figure something out. He still didn't look good, even after a cup of tea. "Now, we need to come up with a plan for as to why I'm not on Hogwarts grounds. Something good and believable." I said, looking at the two men. They were looking at me like they didn't know what to do, which had me rolling my eyes at them. "Look, apparently I'm the brightest witch of my age; Sirius is one of the infamous Marauders, and you Professor are a double-spy Death Eater who is one of the most brilliant men I've ever met, together we can come up with something that everyone will believe."

I left to make some tea before we got down to business in coming up with a plan, the entire time my mind was going a million kilo a minute. "How long are you staying with us this time Professor?" I shouted into the sitting room. I heard him answer me back, letting me know that he'd be staying until midnight so he could make it back for his rounds. I knew that would be a reasonable amount of time to come up with something, so I didn't complain. When I came back into the sitting room, I found both men sitting silently, a piece of parchment, a quill, and an inkwell was sitting on the small coffee table in front of them. I sat on the floor and pulled the writing supplies towards myself. "Alright then, any ideas?" I looked up at the two men from where I was sitting, to find the two of them looking completely clueless. I wanted to laugh at the pair of them. One hadn't pulled any pranks or done anything brilliant since he was my age and the other did enough of this stuff now to burn him out completely.

Half and our later we found ourselves with different plans written out, and none of which would work completely. I sat back and ran my ink-stained hands over my face when the idea came to me. The words from the werewolf book came back to me, something that I knew would never leave me alone until we figured out what do to do with my predicament. _My death._ "I've got it." My voice as barely over a whisper when I said it, but the two men before me heard what I said. They both leaned in closer, waiting for me to tell them what I had come up with. "We have to stage my death." They both looked at me as if I had grown another head. "We have to make everyone believe that I've left the school and died. Of course we would have to come up with a body, one that looks a lot like me if that's possible." I looked to Snape. "What happens with the bodies of the Dark Lord's victims?"

Snape looked uncomfortable at my question. "We normally just leave them at the scene of the crime. Sometimes the others abduct them and bring them to headquarters, other times the scene of the crime is at the homes of the victims."

I knew that it wouldn't be right to do what I was thinking of doing, but to get this right, it had to be done. "Do you think you could possibly collect one of them? One that looked similar to me?" He nodded his head, no explanation needed. "We might have to place some glamour spells over her for those who would recognize something different from me to her."

Sirius piped up as soon as I said that. "We'll have to change her scent somehow too, or Moony will notice that there's something not quite right about her." We both agreed and the plan excelled from there. We had everything planned out before midnight came around and the three of us were in much more better moods than what we were before. Considering that I've accepted that I'm still alive, all we have to do now is wait to figure out what to do about my pending death.


	6. One Headlight

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "One Headlight" belongs to Jakob Dylan and Interscope Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait. School has been taking over my life and it's not getting any easier. I'm trying to get these chapters written in between getting all of these papers done for school, but as I've said before, school comes first. I'll be going on Christmas vacation soon enough though and I'll be able to update faster then. I'm so happy that so many people have reviewed and are enjoying this story. Hopefully this chapter makes up for not updating for a while. Thank you all for the reviews and support of this story, it means so much to me. The song in this chapter is "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers. R&R and enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 5: One Headlight

**Remus' POV**

The rain pounded upon the ground, splashing against the leaves, drenching all of us as we took our seats as one big black mass. The entire school was here as well as the other members of the Order. Tears falling from the faces of many, just as the rain was falling upon the white marble tomb. I could see each drop glide over the curves and dripping off onto the ground below it. The sky was dark, murky and grey, like in was in mourning like the people below it. I could feel the ground sink below me, like it wanted to consume me; the mud washing over my once shiny black shoes. I couldn't believe that something like this would happen; I didn't want to believe it.

It had been less than a day since Hagrid had found her in the forest. Her things strewn everywhere, as were her limbs. The only thing that could indicate who she was was the mass of curly brown hair. Hagrid was told not to move her until she could be identified; Minerva said it was a precaution due to the fact that she had been missing for just over a week. We, the professors, were given the coordinates and were told to meet there; I was the first to arrive, I found my way by the sound of Hagrid's cries. Severus showed up not moments after me, but I didn't take much notice, considering the scene before me. There was so much blood, and her eyes…vacant of life; I would never forget it. The meal I had eaten earlier that day was burning up through my throat and my eyes stung of the tears threatening to spill over. It was her, I knew it. I could tell by her scent, as minimal as it was, I could still smell her but just barely. I remembered turning away, losing the contents of my stomach. My heart wrenched at the vision that had yet to leave my mind that I knew would never leave my mind. And I could swear that the wolf within was howling, crying out for her as well.

We were having a funeral here at Hogwarts, for her, for Hermione. Her family didn't know her, had no clue as to who she was anymore. The word was that she decided to Obliviate them before coming to school. She didn't tell anyone, and had sent them to Australia, she was left without a family and the whole of Hogwarts was the only family that she had left. I felt like shite. She was one of my only friends, and now she's gone. But I suppose it should be expected; everyone that I get close to goes on and I get left behind. And yet, I should have taken notice that something was not right, something that was so much deeper than just depression, that night in the tower. The last time I had spoken with her. Now that I look back, I can see that she was torn. She was a tortured soul, and I believe that somehow I could have helped her but I didn't and here we are.

I take my seat in the front row with the ones that she was closest with. I don't bother to look at any of them because I know that I'll see the same thing in their eyes that I know that I'm feeling. My eyes are trained upon the wand sitting upon the tomb. The vine design as intricate as the once brilliant mind of Hermione Granger, weaving across the smooth wood. I close my eyes for a moment, not completely sure why, but it felt like I was searching for something, reaching out for something. The wolf within is mourning, I can feel him. He wants to get out and howl his misery to the world. I take a deep breath and it hurts. I don't know what it is, but I know that it has something to do with the beast within. I'm pulled from my wanderings by the squeeze of the hand that is wrapped around my arm. I look over at Nymphadora and try to give her the small smile that just refuses to come out. She's like the light at the end of the tunnel for me. It's then that I know that I have to move on from this loss like all of the others, and I know that she will be there for me, no matter what.

**Harry's POV**

Ron and I are one of the first to arrive. He hasn't said anything since she was found. He was angry at first when she turned out to be missing. I didn't blame him, I felt the same way. But I knew that he'd been in love with her for years; she was like my sister. I know it may sound a little selfish on my part, but I considered her my family, she was a part of me. She understood me, knew what it was like to come from one world into a different one that was only supposed to be in fairytales. She guided me through it all and I didn't want to believe that I had lost her. I need her now more than ever.

Everyone was here, but I couldn't bear to look at any of the attendees. I could feel Ron shaking next to me and knew that he was crying. The weeping over the crowd could be heard over the pouring rain that obscured our vision of what lay of my friend and sister. Remus, being the closest person to me at this point besides Ron, was the one to tell us. He said that he had been one of the first ones to show up at where she was found. He said that he had confirmed it for everyone, but that she was so unrecognizable that they didn't want Ron or me to see her. Remus said that he had gotten sick from what he saw. Remus was the one to confirm who she was because he knew her scent. I understood but would have loved to have seen her just once more.

I stair straight ahead, not bothering to let my eyes move over every person here. I could only stair at the white marble tomb that lay before me. The wand that belonged to her lying still, almost lifeless on top of the almost glowing marble. Ron and I agreed not to bury it with her, and that I would get to keep it. I had ordered a glass casing for it to sit in, as a symbol of those that I had lost, to keep me going, it showed me that no matter what, I had to keep fighting. Ron wanted to keep Crookshanks; he said that Hermione loved that cat so much that he couldn't come to part with the orange fluff ball. He wasn't able to sleep last night without that cat sleeping there curled up next to him, and I had a feeling that it wouldn't be the first night like that for him.

I knew that this was only going to be the beginning for us; that we would lose more. But what I couldn't figure out was why. Why did it have to be Hermione? Was it because she was muggleborn? Or was it because she was just there? I would never understand. What I did understand though was that she wasn't acting right. She hadn't been acting right since the end of our third year. I couldn't put the pieces together to figure out what had happened to make her change like that. If I knew, I would have tried to help her. Then maybe she wouldn't have tried to leave, maybe she would still be here with us and we wouldn't be attending her funeral. But in the end, I know that there was nothing that I could do. And someday, I hope to find that hope that I'd lost, find that sister and friend that I'd lost.

**Ron's POV**

I find myself unable to realize that there are so many around me, mourning the same person as I. Of course, she wasn't the same person to them as she was to me. I loved her; I still do. I'm not yet ready to lose her, just when I was ready to share my feelings for her. The brilliant woman laying between all of that marble had stormed in and stolen my heart the first time on the train, the remark about the dirt on my nose and all and here she is, gone…forever. I never got to tell her that I loved her…I never even got to say goodbye. I'd lost the love of my life and never got the chance that I had been so foolishly waiting on.

I didn't bother with a weather repellent spell, it didn't matter that my robes were getting soaked or that I might get sick, what mattered was the fact that my best friend and the woman I loved was lying dead not but a few steps away. It felt as if the soggy ground was going to swallow me whole. I would gladly let it take me too. I wanted to join her, but I knew that I would be hurting people too, people that mattered. I also know that she would berate me for it too. She would tell me that Harry needs me and that with the both of us gone from his side that he would be of no use to the Wizarding world. I'd probably tell her that it didn't matter as long as I had her and she would tell me that I'm being stupid. I would give anything to hear her even say that again.

I know that she wouldn't have asked me to do it, but I decided to keep the cat. Crookshanks stayed in the boys' dorm last night and slept in my bed. It was a little comforting, but not enough. He seemed to understand though, which made it a little easier for me; he's been very cooperative with me, considering the circumstances. Everything else of hers though, was gone, with her. I never expected something like this to happen, of all of us, why her? Why couldn't it have been me? I would have gladly taken her place. Anything for her to stay alive. There is a part of me though that can still kind of feel her with us. I know that that might sound a little crazy to some, but it's like I can feel her, like she's not gone on and left us all behind.

I suppose that eventually we'll all be okay, I'll be okay. But I don't think I'll be quite okay. I know that I'll never be the same. Life will never be the same without her. She was like sunshine, a breath of fresh air. I don't know what I'll do without that, but I know that I'll have to push on someday. I'll still love her, and I'll hold a special place in my heart just for her. But I'd like to hold on to that for a while longer. I don't know maybe I'll never let go at all…I hope not.

**Severus' POV**

It was working, the brilliant little witch. I wish that I had come up with this plan. Everyone was in disarray. Even Draco was crying. I guess, for him, it was like losing a toy that he couldn't play with anymore, but either way, it was believed by all. Lupin looked like shite, and lost. I had to keep my features schooled for this little charade; I couldn't have our cover blown or anyone suspecting me of the 'murder'. Potter looked like he wanted to run away and Weasley, well; he looked like I did when I lost my first love. I felt horrible for the red head in that moment. I couldn't blame the guy; it isn't easy for guys like us. But I couldn't very well go up to him and tell him that it wasn't real. Then again, he probably wouldn't believe me.

When Hagrid had found her, we were all told to meet at the scene to make sure that it was her. I was happy to find that I wasn't the first one there. Lupin had gotten there first. I don't even think that during his fit he didn't realize that he had actually howled. I could hear the scream of agony from the wolf, it was depressing, but it had to happen. I was happy that Lupin actually believed that it was her, even his wolf believed it. I knew that eventually he would have to be let in on the secret, but it would have to be when he was ready…and when Hermione was ready. Then, we could all move on. I couldn't help but notice though, the smile that wouldn't leave the face of the pink haired witch on Lupin's arm today. I have a feeling that she's going to be a problem.


	7. I'm Not Calling You A Liar

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "I'm Not Calling You A Liar" belongs to Florence Welch and Island Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: I know, I know, I haven't been keeping up with this story as much as I'd like or any of you wonderful readers. I'll try to keep up with it and update more often, life has just been super busy lately with the holidays and everything. But enough with the lame excuses, I'm giving all of you the latest chapter to Calling of the Mate. The song in this chapter is "I'm Not Calling You A Liar" by Florence + the Machine. R&R and enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 6: I'm Not Calling You A Liar

**Hermione's POV**

It had been more than a week since my 'funeral' and had yet to hear back from Snape. Sirius and I both knew that he was a busy man, but it would have been nice to have heard something from him. I had been on edge all day, but it wasn't about Snape not contacting us, I could feel something coming on…it was the same every time. I know that I should be used to it by now, but I can never get passed the horrible feeling that it gives me. I hate it, all of it. My entire body aches and I feel like I'm being ripped apart.

I made sure that Sirius didn't see my distress; I didn't want him to see me like this and I didn't want him to think that it bothered me. So, I spent my morning preparing the bathroom for my bath later, and I made sure that anything in the room that could hurt me was gone. I placed a cushioning charm on the walls and left to the kitchen for breakfast and a spot of tea. Sirius was already in the kitchen nursing a cup of tea. He looked up and smiled at me.

Neither of us spoke for a while. I tried to act as normal as possible so as not to raise any suspicion with Sirius. "You look pretty into that toast, 'Mione." I let my eyes leave the sight of the marmalade slathered toast in my hand, my eyes meeting his. I just smiled and took a bite of my toast, a small moan erupting from my throat. His eyes widened slightly and he cleared his throat. He shifted in his seat and I heard him mumble, "You're _really_ into that toast."

After a quiet breakfast and tea, I went back to my room for an equally quiet afternoon. I wasn't planning to come out of my room for a while, in hopes that the dread that I was feeling wouldn't get any worse. It wasn't getting any better, that's for sure. But I suppose being alone today wasn't meant to happen. I heard the knocking upon my door and called out to Sirius on the other side. "Yes?"

The door opened and he peeked at me from around it. "Just wanted to check on you." He looked around for a minute. "Mind if I come in?" I shrugged and told him that he could come in if he wanted. Sirius came in and gingerly closed the door behind him before walking across the room to sit at the edge of the bed. "Are you okay Hermione?" I turned the page of the book I was reading, which just so happened to be the werewolf book that Snape had left with me, and nodded my head. Sirius was quiet for a moment. "Moony is an idiot."

I snorted at his statement. "Moony or Remus?"

He looked confused. "Is there a difference?"

I sighed as I put the book down. "There is Remus, the man and then there is Moony the wolf." I could tell that he didn't get it. "Remus has always been Remus. He never acknowledged the wolf within as another being within his being. At least not until you, James and Peter gave him a name. You three named the wolf part of Remus, Moony."

Sirius didn't leave my room after the explanation of the difference between Remus and Moony. Instead, he made himself comfortable at the foot of my bed as I read out loud from the book of werewolves. He had so many questions about werewolves that it made me wonder how much he actually knew about Moony. I wasn't objecting though, I was more than happy to answer anything that he wanted to know. Eventually, the book was put down and we were talking rather than him listen to me vocalize the book. "I get lonely around here. Snape didn't come around too much before, and I was fine with that but I was alone. When you are cut off from the rest of the world, it gets a little scary, you know?" He was telling me about his time in Snape's house and how quiet and empty it is for someone who is alone. "Since he brought you here, I haven't felt so alone. Now that you are here, Hermione, I don't feel so alone." He smiled at me.

I wanted to smile in return and assure him that I was happy that he didn't feel alone anymore. But I couldn't. I didn't smile or say anything that would keep that grin on his face. Instead, we both seemed to fall into a deep silence. A light grunt sounded next to me and Sirius sat up straight. "Thank you for listening to my life's problems Hermione." He pulled me into a hug before standing up. "I'll leave you to it then." I walked him to the bedroom door. Sirius spun around swiftly to face me. He took my hand in his and bowed before me, keeping eye contact with me during the entire display. "Goodnight," He brought my hand to his lips, two light pink, thin pillows of softness, brushing across the knuckles of my hand. So soft, he kissed my hand, that I had almost missed the feather light touch. I was entranced by Sirius' entire display; so much that I barely registered whispering a goodnight back to him.

The moment my bedroom door closed I leaned against it; let out the breath I had been holding, and slid to the floor. I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to last with Sirius in here with me. My legs were trembling, my brain felt as if it were on fire, and every nerve ending within my body felt like they were going into overload. I hated this feeling and I dreaded the moment it would begin. I didn't want anyone to know about what I had to endure, and yet, I desperately wanted someone, anyone to know. Someone who wouldn't mind showing a little sympathy towards me. I needed that.

I could feel the cold air hit the hot sweat upon my skin; my shirt was already soaked through. Then, just as I began to seizing, something new happened. I could hear him, Lupin, in my mind. I knew it had to have been the wolf calling to me, but this was different than anything I had ever heard of before. He was there in my mind, the man was moaning in the most deliciously naughty way while the wolf within him was growling viciously, like he was angry with Lupin or maybe someone else.

There was something else underneath all of it though; something faint. Someone was shouting my name and a loud banging was accompanying the shouts. The sound of my name was what brought me back to the here and now. Brought me back to the agony that my body was experiencing. I only had one thought in my mind that that moment. _Remus Lupin, you are going to kill me._

**Severus' POV**

I had just gotten finished with my rounds and was on my way to my living quarters. All day I had been trying to figure out when I would be able to make another visit with Sirius and Hermione. I wanted to make sure she was faring well away from Hogwarts and in a new setting. Although Sirius and I have our problems with each other, I knew that he would be constantly trying to keep her happy, at least at some level.

I had come to the decision that I would visit them in the morning…that was until I heard it. _Lupin_ and _Tonks ._But there was something that didn't sound quite right with Lupin. That immediately alarmed me; if something was off with Lupin, then something definitely was going to be off with Hermione.

I made a mad dash to the dungeons, not caring if anyone saw me. I knew that could be a possible stupid move on my part, but I didn't care. I made it to my living quarters in record time and put of the wards. I wasn't about to risk someone finding out about my guests. After a quick lockdown of my quarters, I took and handful of floo powder and in a flurry of green flames, I was back in my own personal prison that was actually used to confine two people that were thought to be dead.

I rushed through the mouth of the fireplace and up the stairs behind the secret bookcase-door. Sirius was hot on my heels, pestering me with what was wrong. "Hermione." I growled out. I didn't mean to sound so pissed off, but I didn't want any more time wasted than what already was. I wasn't sure what kind of condition she would be in when I got to her bedroom.

"What about Hermione? Have we been found out?"

I checked the doorknob first. "Bugger, it's locked!" I tried all of the unlocking spells that I knew, only to find that the door was not going to budge. "Hermione! Hermione, Open up!" I didn't care if I had to beat the door down to get to her; I needed to be sure that she was safe, that she wasn't hurting herself. "Open the door Hermione!" I gripped my wand, pointing it the door and effectively blasting the door into little flecks of wood. And there she was, on the floor in mid-seizure and foaming at the mouth.

"What the hell is going on?" Sirius shouted upon seeing her in the state that she was in.

I rushed over to her side and held her close to me to prevent her from hurting herself. "It's a side effect of the bond. I think the wolf within is fighting Lupin. I heard him growling dangerously in mid-shag. It was the first time I had heard him like that. I came over as soon as I could. Now help me here! Get me some cold water and a rag, a calming potion, and essence of dittany." He was gone to retrieve my list of items before I could finish the last word and was back just as quickly. "I need you to administer the potion while I get rid of the debris from the door." We made quick work of getting her calmed down and cleaned up. "We need to move her to the bed and get this fever down." Sirius sat back on the bed, holding her to his chest, in case she started seizing again. We worked together; trying to keep her fever down, Sirius tried talking in a soothing tone, hoping that she would hear it and relax.

It took longer than before when she finally relaxed and her fever had come down. She was breathing evenly, her face covered in a light sheen of sweat and little remnants of water. "There's not much that we can do for her at this point. I have a feeling that it is only going to get worse. We will just have to keep doing this every time I'm afraid." Sirius nodded, understanding that this was far more serious than what we had initially believed it to be.

"I'll stay here with her. You can go back to Hogwarts, if you want. I will not be leaving her side."

"I think I'll stay the night here. I was planning to come over in the morning anyways. I will not be missed at this time of night. Unless the Dark Lord calls for me." I got up and made it to the doorway before he spoke again.

"He's killing her, isn't he?" His voice was barely a whisper.

I turned back to him, not breaking eye contact. "She will eventually die. She's dying as we speak, and she doesn't have a lot of time." He gave me a short nod. I could see the sadness within his eyes as I answered him. Turning away, I walked down the corridor to my room, once again cursing Lupin in my mind.


	8. Smile Like You Mean It

**Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "Smile Like You Mean It" belongs to Brandon Flowers and Mark Stoermer and Island Records and Lizard King Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.**

**A/N: Another update! I'm so proud of myself! lol. I hope that I can get the next chapter out just as fast as I got this one out. I think we'll be going with Remus' POV in the next chapter, maybe...I'll have to think about it. I hope that this chapter answered some of your questions as to whether or not Remus is being affected by all that has been going on or not. I'm really looking forward to the good stuff getting written and posted, I don't know about the rest of you. I hope that this chapter is satisfactory and that you all enjoy it. The song in this chapter is "Smile Like You Mean It" by The Killers. R&R and enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Calling of the Mate<strong>

Chapter 7: Smile Like You Mean It

**Sirius' POV**

The next morning I woke up with Hermione laying over me, in the same position that we fell asleep in. It took me a minute to remember what had happened, and I was up out of the bed and seeing red. I wanted to hurt someone; I wanted to hurt my best friend, Remus Lupin. I didn't want to hurt him as bad before as I do now. He didn't know what he was doing to Hermione, and I understood that, but he should have understood what it meant to be a werewolf, to some extent at least.

After making sure that Hermione was lying comfortably I left her room, walking through the open doorway. Snape was in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in hand. He didn't speak and barely spared me a glance as I entered the room. I kept my back to him as I nursed my own cup of coffee, opting to add some Jameson into it. _Mm…muggle whiskey…_I turned back to Snape. "She's comfortable." He nodded. "How long are you staying today?"

Snape finally spoke when I sat down across from him. "It's Saturday, Black, I'm off work. I let Dumbledore know that I was indisposed today." I took another sip of my coffee. "Besides, Hermione needs me here too. Even if I had classes today, I would have cancelled for her. She needs me more than those imbeciles she calls classmates do."

I took a sip of my coffee, savoring the whiskey in it, and nodded in acknowledgement to what he was saying. "Is being affected at all by this? I mean, do we know if he's done this before when he's shagged my cousin? Is he in any pain over it? What's going on on his end?"

"Don't really know other than what happened last night. I didn't stick around after I heard him either though. Like I really want to stand around and listen to that shite." Snape shrugged. "I'm not sure if he's really in any pain. I would think that to some extent he would be, but not from what I could tell."

"I have an idea."

We both turned to see Hermione standing in the doorway, casually leaning against the doorframe as if nothing had happened the night before. "An idea?" It sounded like Snape might have gotten hit with the Cruciatus curse more times than his body could handle with the way he'd been asking questions since Hermione had been brought here, not that I was any better.

We watched her move around the kitchen, getting herself a glass and filling it with water before moving to the table to sit with us. "Yes, an idea. You know, a plan?" She rolled her eyes at us. "Look, if you want answers to your questions, there's only one way to find out."

"And your plan is…?" I trailed off, ending it in a question as I moved my hands in an 'out with it' motion.

Hermione turned from me to face Snape. "Do you have any polyjuice potion already brewed?" Snape shook his head, waiting to see where she was going with this. "Got the ingredients to make it?" He nodded in confirmation. "Good. You'll go back to Hogwarts and teach while I sit here and brew it. That is, if you trust me?"

"I'm more than confident that you can brew it." He said quietly.

"Good. I need you to get me the key ingredient though." She let the silence sit for a few seconds, letting the anticipation rise. "I need a few strands of Lupin's hair."

"Here's the plan." Snape and I leant over the table to get a closer hearing of Hermione. "You're going to get those hairs for me before the month is out. I'll start brewing today so we don't have to wait longer than what we have to."

"You know that werewolves don't shed or lose hair, don't you?" Snape and I both said at the same time. Which was creepier than I'd ever like to admit.

"No shite, Sherlock! But he's got to have a hairbrush or something; otherwise his hair would be a complete rats next by now." I was mildly surprised to hear the cursing and sarcasm coming out of her mouth. "You're going to probably have to collect that while he's out doing what he does."

I shook my head. "Werewolves have a heightened sense of smell, love. He will be able to smell that Snape was in his room before he even got to the door."

A creepy smile formed across her lips, too creepy for my taste. "Not after a full moon. A werewolf isn't just physically weak after a full moon; everything is much weaker down to their senses. And we all know that no matter how much pain he's in, he will still do his job. So, right after the full moon, he'll be up and doing his duties, and you will go into his room and collect some of his hair from his brush and you will bring it back to me as soon as you can get away." Hermione leaned back into her chair, arms crossed, and looking like a sly, smug little Slytherin.

"And who will be taking this little brew of Lupin?" Snape questioned.

"Well, seeing as how you're the only one that can leave here, you'll have to monitor Lupin's reaction. Sirius will have to take it. Unless you want to give up a few hairs and take the Lupin brew and test out my little plan while Sirius runs around Hogwarts acting like you?" Hermione grinned wider at Snape's sputtering at the thought of me being him for an hour or two.

"I'll have no part of being Lupin, nor do I want some idiot like Black running around looking like me."

"Like wise." I sniffed, clearly offended at the idea of being him for a while. "But wait. Has anyone ever taken polyjuice with werewolf hair? What if something goes wrong with it?"

Hermione laughed at my questioning while Snape and I shared the same horrified look at what the risk could be. "Silly Sirius. As long as it's not the night of the full moon, you should be fine. Sure, you will look just like him. You might also have his heightened senses too, but that should be it. I highly doubt that you will start transforming. Don't worry about it." She reached over and patted my hand in reassurance.

After our little round of plotting and scheming, Hermione declared that she should get started on brewing the potion. Snape and I both offered our assistance in helping her as Snape led us into his underground lab. Snape immediately helped her set up a station for herself while I got the ingredients we would need. It was kind of strange, the idea of working with two complete geniuses of potions work, while I, on the other hand, was complete rubbish. This was exactly why Snape told me that I should prepare the ingredients with him; that had completely relieved me of my fear of blowing us all up. He thought it would be a good idea to let her do the initial brewing since she would be working on it while he was away.

The three of us worked in complete comfortable silence, Snape next to me and Hermione brewing across from us. Once in a while Snape would give me advice on how I should cut ingredients or if I should peel the outer shell of some while I should just squeeze the juice out of others. We would measure the ingredients and pass them over to Hermione as she brewed; her mind completely in the zone of her work.

Towards the end of the first step of the brewing Snape and I had started bottling up and putting away our prepared ingredients when I noticed Hermione switch arms as she stirred. I caught Snape's attention and nodded over to her just as we caught her wincing at the movement of either arm. "Are your arms sore Hermione?" Snape asked as he walked over to her. "You're in pain from last night." He commented darkly.

Snape finished the stirring for Hermione before directing her to a stool for her to sit on. "Shirt off, Hermione." I raised my eyebrow in what might have been a very Snape-ish way. She looked at him with an uncomfortable expression on her face. "I'm going to rub some muscle relaxing ointment on your arms and back. It should help with the pain."

Reluctantly, Hermione pulled her shirt over her head, wincing once more at the pain and place the shirt on the table before her. I couldn't help but to take in the delicious curves of her sides, falling from her breasts down to her hips, passed the top of her jeans. I just stood there, frozen in place. She looked much better than the last time we had to remove her clothes, when she had first arrived here covered in blood. Her skin was fair and looked delectably soft to the touch…and something down below was agreeing wholeheartedly, throbbing in the confines of my own jeans, and fighting to get out.

I didn't miss the look on Snape's face as he looked my way from behind her. He had this shit-eating grin on his face and he wiggled his eyebrows at me as his eyes flickered to Hermione's bare skin. _Snape, you dog!_ I knew what he was thinking and I was agreeing with him. I was also trying to hold a laugh in. The look on Snape's face was something I had never seen on him before, but I knew what he was getting at.

He still had that grin on his face as he unhooked her bra and started slathering the ointment across her back. I couldn't believe that Snape was getting off on rubbing muscle relaxer into Hermione's back! I was suddenly pulled from my thought when I heard a deep purr-like moan coming from Hermione. _Bloody hell, that's hot!_ Snape kept rubbing her back and shoulders as he discreetly bounced on the balls of his feet, looking all hot and bothered at the sounds she was making. He quickly sobered up though when he began dragging his hands down her arms. "Feeling better?" If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounded like his voice of seduction coming out.

"Mm, _very_ much." Was all she said. I couldn't help it; I wanted a piece of that. Remus or no Remus, I wanted that before he ever gets a chance to sink his claws into her.

Before long, Hermione had reattached her bra and put her shirt back on, much to mine and Snape's disappointment, and we made our way back up to the sitting room. We decided to sit back and relax for the evening and have a little dinner and converse before Snape had to head back.

Dinner was quite an affair with the three of us working around each other, cooking on the stove, in the oven and across the counter space. We kept bumping into each other and laughing and just having a relaxing and good time. It was even kind of nice to see Snape lighten up a bit from his usual snarky ways.

When we took our full-bellied selves to the sitting room, the three of us lounged on the couch with Snape and I sitting on either end and Hermione laying across our legs, her feet in Snape's lap as he massaged them. "You know, you have the most fabulous hands ever Sev." Hermione moaned as he dug into a particularly rough spot. It was funny to see her loosen up, even if it was due to the glass of wine that she was sipping on.

Snape chuckled before responding. "So I've been told. I'm glad they're up to par for you."

She giggled as she spoke. "Oh they're definitely up to par, _professor_." Oh Great Merlin above! I wish I was the professor in this situation because the way she said that was just down right dirty.

At the thought of Hermione being dirty, another thought had hit me. "Hermione, you never did tell me what you wanted me to do after it take that potion next month."

She looked up at me and smiled. "Well, first, you're going to have to shag me without the potion. Just to see what kind of reaction he has. Then we will have to try it with the potion, to see if it affects him the same way or differently because you'll be him."

She seemed completely unaffected by what she had just said. I wish I could say the same for myself and Snape, but unfortunately we ended up looking at each other in complete surprise, jaws dropped in shock at what her plan was. And all I could think was, _'Poor Snape isn't going to get a taste of this hot little bird and I am!'_


End file.
